Chapter 62: Descent to the Big Hand

The time it takes for a free fall.
If a person jumps from a height of 100 meters, their speed will reach about 45 meters per second before hitting the ground.

Because acceleration increases frighteningly fast the moment you fall.

It takes about one second to fall the first 5 meters.

After about two seconds, you’ll have passed the 20-meter mark in a flash.

A little over four seconds later, a human will have traveled that long 100 meters and crashed into the ground.

In other words, from the moment he jumped, Yuseong had about four seconds.

Yuseong hadn’t followed an ordinary educational path and wasn’t deeply versed in physics or mechanics.

But with instinct and experience as his weapons, he roughly understood the process of falling.

Whooosh.

Thanks to that, even as the wind whipped his face and the thrill of the drop surged through him, he was able to coldly assess the situation.

Three Light Sticks thrown onto the floor.

Before he jumped, they’d looked like little red dots—now they grew larger and larger.

Thanks to their light, he could see it.

The thing countless Explorers passing through this place hadn’t even noticed existed.

The teeth inside the hole—no, the Big Hand Lobster was there.

Excited by the light flares, the creature spotted the falling Yuseong and began foaming at the mouth, its massive claw stretching wide.

As its name ‘Big Hand’ suggests, its claws were grotesquely overdeveloped and huge.

Half its body was still wedged inside its lair along the wall.

Below that was the entrance leading into the Gate.

The dense mana was already palpable.

The speed of his fall had slowed a little, but it still wasn’t enough.

He had to slow down even more.

About three seconds had passed since Yuseong began his descent.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the Rose Knife with both hands and stabbed it into the wall.

Since the Rose Knife was so sharp, there was no problem piercing the wall.

Ka-ga-gak, tang.

But, having accelerated as much as he had, the force was too much for him to withstand—the speed flung his body off the wall.

But even this had been predicted.

Quickly regaining his balance, Yuseong thrust the Rose Knife into the opposite wall.

Ka-ka-kam.

This time, too, he failed to hang onto the wall.

But his speed had definitely lessened.

He was able to block the Big Hand Lobster’s incoming claw with just his forearm.

Ka-ang!

The claw was so hard that sparks shot out.

Yuseong used the rebound from swatting the creature’s claw to counteract nearly all the momentum from his fall.

At that moment, the rope connected to Yuseong’s suit went taut.

He’d reached the end of the rope Jang Dojin was holding.

Kwa-ak!

With a suffocating jolt, the recoil snapped Yuseong upward.

Kem!

The claw snapped shut on the spot where Yuseong had just been.

Even without the light, the creature was a ghastly color.

Bathed in red light from the Light Sticks, it looked positively monstrous.

Its crustacean eyes, black as beans, only added to the terrifying mood.

Thud.

Yuseong landed lightly atop the giant claw.

The claw, even bigger than Yuseong’s torso, looked incredibly solid.

“Mmm, you’re full of meat.”

“Kui-shiiiiiik!”

The enraged creature sprayed foam at Yuseong.

Acid Foam.

Yuseong quickly jumped off the claw to dodge, then swung in closer to the beast’s chest, hanging from the rope.

With the Rose Knife in his hand, he moved swiftly.

Shuak!

The blade sliced right through the joint of the claw.

The relatively weak joint, compared to the hard shell, was cut cleanly, and goo splattered out.

Perhaps he’d severed a nerve, because the creature’s monstrous claw drooped limply.

The Big Hand Lobster—who had lived its entire life reigning like a king in this narrow hole.

Eating fish and bugs, occasionally attacking the Explorers who happened to fall at its door.

This king of the hole met its nemesis for the first time today—Yuseong.

“Kui-shin!”

The creature lashed out with its slightly smaller left claw.

Even while dangling from the rope, Yuseong moved with acrobatic grace.

Ka-ang!

He swatted the claw away again with his forearm, propelled himself up, and swung the Rose Knife to cut through the joint.

With both claws disabled, the Big Hand Lobster was helpless.

But its attacks didn’t end there.

Its mouth, spewing Acid Foam—inside, a Poison Gland. From there, a Poison Sting shot toward Yuseong.

Pew-pl

It was a trump card it had used only once or twice since awakening in this hole as the Abyss began to stir.

The last time it had used the sting, a massive Metal Pig had fallen into the hole by chance.

The sting had pierced even that thick carapace and instantly killed the huge Metal Pig.

Recalling that, the Big Hand Lobster expected Yuseong to collapse at any moment.

“Kishishi…”

Acidic bubbles popped from its mouth in anticipation.

“Ha, you poked a hole in my clothes.”

But Yuseong didn’t spit blood.

He merely scowled, brushed the Poison Sting from his chest, and tossed it aside.

The Big Hand Lobster’s small eyes darted around in confusion.

It simply couldn’t understand.

What it didn’t know was that Yuseong had reinforced his suit jacket’s chest with a Cutting Board made from a Serpent’s Horn.

A Cutting Board so sturdy, no mere poison sting could puncture it.

And even if Yuseong had been struck, his resistance was far too high for that level of toxin to harm him.

In this cramped place, Yuseong was without a doubt the predator, and the Big Hand Lobster—prey, for the first time in its life.

Now, with both claws and its poison sting lost, the beast could no longer defend against Yuseong’s strikes.

Pakak.

Yuseong’s Rose Knife plunged precisely between the creature’s eyes.

That blow was more the work of a chef than an Explorer.

A skilled chef knows the one point that will kill a lobster instantly—that was it.

From the point where Yuseong stabbed, the purple shell began to turn a pinkish hue.

The revolting color of the lobster changed to a delicious-looking pink.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

Yuseong grinned.

[You have hunted the Extreme Rare Monster, ‘Big Hand Lobster.’]

[You have achieved the Exceptional Achievement, ‘Trick Destroyer.’]

[Your Danger Sense has become slightly sharper.]

Some rare monsters, like Steel Buffalo, counted as achievements just for catching a single one.

And the reward was tinglingly good.

Danger Sense—the ability to perceive silent, hidden dangers, like a poison sting flying unseen.

The so-called ‘Sixth Sense.’

An essential ability as you descend to deeper layers, but not easy to develop.

Sss.

Yuseong felt saliva pool in his mouth.

Honestly, at a time like this, things like achievements barely registered.

“Yeah… butter-grilled is best.”

Right now, all he wanted was to taste that lobster as soon as possible.

***

Jang Dojin performed an impressive feat, hauling both Yuseong and the 120kg Big Hand Lobster up to the surface.

People were shocked to learn that a monster had actually been living inside the hole leading to the Gate.

Of course, the most startled of all was Park Tae-gong.

He had imagined the monster lurking in the hole as something truly terrifying—like a crocodile with a giant maw and saw-like teeth.

“Wha… it’s actually… pretty cute.”

But the Big Hand Lobster Yuseong had caught was just a plump, pale pink crayfish.

Its color had changed with death.

Park Tae-gong had never been much interested in food, but this had been the object of his obsession for a long time.

And since it was Yuseong who caught it, it was certain he’d cook it up.

His curiosity was piqued for no reason.

“So you’re going to cook this now, Yuseong? Um, can I have a bite too?”

As Park Tae-gong reached out, hands trembling, to touch the lobster, Yuseong slapped his hand away.

“Catch your own and eat it.”

Yuseong had no intention of grilling this thing right now.

He planned to head down to the 13th Layer and find some other ingredients to grill it with.

Park Tae-gong, who’d naturally assumed he’d at least get a bite, looked devastated.

“Ah, then… are there more down below?”

“Not here.”

“Then…”

“Try checking the Japanese or Chinese Gates.”

The bystanders looked at Park Tae-gong with pity.

But Park Tae-gong, who’d just been scolded, suddenly looked delighted.

“T-that’s it!”

There must still be many people overseas who didn’t know about the Big Hand Lobster.

Yuseong had only meant to brush him off, but Park Tae-gong took it to heart.

Suddenly he dashed off as if he were about to rush to an overseas Gate right this moment.

At any rate, it wasn’t Yuseong’s concern.

“Let’s go, Dojin.”

“Yep.”

He was starting to tire of the sea.

It was time to head for the 13th Layer.

***

The Gate leading from the 12th to the 13th Layer.

And this Gate was very different from the ones Jang Dojin had passed through before.

‘Hellhole’ was a ‘one-way Gate.’

Most Clear Gates or Entry Gates allowed you to travel not only down to a lower layer, but back up as well.

Like an elevator.

But the Hellhole was different.

[The Explorer’s courage is acknowledged.]

[You have arrived at the 13th Layer.]

[Wishing you success in your conquest.]

Those messages flashed by in an instant, and suddenly, he was submerged in lukewarm water.

“Puhah!”

Jang Dojin sucked in a breath he’d been holding.

Water must have gone up his nose; his breath caught.

Having accidentally swallowed water several times passing through the 10th to 12th Layers, the sensation was familiar.

He’d thought, for sure, that he was back in seawater.

But instead of a burning saltiness, his mouth tasted of earthy silt.

“Huff, huff…”

It wasn’t seawater.

He was in the middle of a marsh.

Tzzzrrr, tzzzzr.

With the sound of insects chirping, sweltering air pressed in.

“What, are we at the shore?”

“Gah!”

As Yuseong, who had jumped in first, suddenly appeared, Jang Dojin flinched in surprise.

“What’s with the freak-out?”

“For a second, I thought we were back at the 4th Layer.”

The climate had suddenly turned tropical.

The 4th to 6th Layers also had this kind of tropical climate, which is why Jang Dojin was momentarily confused.

But looking more closely, there were clear differences from the 4th Layer.

The insect sounds were eerie.

Tzzzrr, tchirrok.

Unlike the 4th Layer, where the sunny days were full of birdsong.

It was humid, dim, and above all…

“This place is way more dangerous.”

It was nothing like the lower layers, where the only dangerous thing was maybe a viper.

“Dangerous…”

“Hold still.”

Yuseong said this, then suddenly took a waterproof match out of his backpack.

Chiik.

It was something used to light fuel, but after striking the match, Yuseong unexpectedly brought it toward Jang Dojin.

“Whoa, what are you doing…?”

“Hold still, unless you want a burn.”

Jang Dojin, scared, stayed put.

Chiiik.

With a chilling noise, the smell of something burning filled the air, but there was no actual pain.

“Got it.”

When he saw what was in Yuseong’s hand, Jang Dojin nearly fainted.

“It’s a Punishing Insect.”

“Uuurgh!”

Feeling his neck where the leech had been, Jang Dojin realized blood was still trickling out.

“That thing can suck blood all day long and never stop… Ah, I guess it’s not so bad if you eat it for dinner.”

“Is it poisonous?”

Not lethally, but it might upset your stomach. If you roast it, the smell is odd but it tastes alright. Want to try?

“Absolutely not!”

As Jang Dojin shrank away in horror, Yuseong tossed the leech aside, looking disappointed.

“What a waste of protein.”

“…Ugh.”

Thinking longingly of home, Jang Dojin followed Yuseong.

Regardless of Jang Dojin’s anxiety, Yuseong, walking ahead, was in a slightly excited state.

“Oh, there’s some here too.”

Except for sea species, the previous layers had been almost barren of vegetation.

But the 13th Layer, true to its tropical climate, was lush with all kinds of plants and herbs.

That was why he’d endured his hunger and hauled the lobster carcass all the way here.

“Basil Garlic.”

The herb Yuseong had just picked by the marsh was called ‘Basil Garlic.’

Just as the name suggests, it smells of basil and garlic at once.

If you grind it up and sprinkle it on butter-grilled lobster, it’ll be perfect.

Once they left the marsh for dry land, he planned to grill the lobster right away.

Trailing behind, Jang Dojin suddenly seemed to realize something and muttered,

“But there really are fewer Explorers now.”

“As we go deeper, that’s only natural.”

Ever since parting with the subjugation team and entering the 11th Layer, the difference had been obvious.

Before, on any layer—especially near Gates—there had always been crowds of people.

That was because there were plenty of Korean Explorers.

But as they delved deeper, the stragglers started to vanish.

Of course, after the 20th Layer, things would change as the Korean Peninsula Abyss connected with China’s and Japan’s, but…

That was a fact only Yuseong knew, for now.

“I bet there’ll be even fewer Explorers from here on.”

That was all Yuseong said.

But when they finally left the marsh and reached dry land—

The situation was completely different from what Yuseong had just predicted.

A noisy crowd of Explorers was packed into a not-so-large clearing.

“What’s going on here…?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

The Explorers all wore the same expression of dissatisfaction, mingled with anxiety.

Just as Jang Dojin, feeling uneasy for some reason, was about to ask what was going on—

Yuseong, who’d been beside him, had vanished.

“Uh…?”

Suddenly, Yuseong reappeared.

He’d gathered a pile of dry sticks from somewhere.

He tossed a piece of Solid Fuel onto the heap and lit a match, tossing it on.

Fwoosh!

The fire blazed up.

“Let’s eat first, then think. If we starve, our bellies will stick to our backs.”

The Explorers, distracted by something else until now, suddenly turned their attention to Yuseong, who’d lit the fire.